The Future's Shadow
by Forbidden1991
Summary: Hermione Granger cannot claim to hating anyone but there is one exception, Severus Snape. When she is thrown back in time to his fifth year at Hogwarts will she despise the man that has ruined Harry's life since her time at Hogwarts or will she learn to love what's truly underneath his skin. Angsty, hateful and a little bit of sexual tension causes this to be one thrilling story.
1. Chapter 1: The Potion

A/N: This story is my piece for the 'I Miss You but My Aim Is Getting Better' Challenge. I haven't done any fan-fiction for quite sometime so I hope those of you who read it enjoy it! Please Rate and Review! All comments are welcomed!

Disclaimer: This disclaimer stands for the whole story, I do not own anything affiliated or related to Harry Potter. All Characters, places and objects are the property of the wonderfully talented J.K. Rowling!

Now Enjoy!

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Chapter 1 - The Potion

Hermione granger sat in her fifth year potions class. She preferred to work by herself, it was easier for her as she didn't have to stop continuously to explain it to someone else or to dumb it down for them to the point where she got bored of the work. However alone she could work in peace, allowing the methodical pattern. It was easy to slip into her work and she's startled when she's tapped on the shoulder by the awkward boy sitting behind her.

"Hermione can you explain this to me?" Neville asks. Hermione's brown eyes stare at him incredulously, it was still unbelievable that Neville could not grasp the concept of such a simple potion. Hermione quickly explains to Neville what he must do in the simplest of terms that she can manage. The furrow in Neville's brow concerned Hermione but she turned around and went back to her work. She did not see the look Professor Snape gave her nor the sneer that shaped his lips as he watched her explaining to Neville the simple work. Nor did she notice her teacher getting up and making his way toward her as she continued her work.

"Miss Granger," Hearing her name coming from his lips gave her a chill and as she looked up she saw her professor standing above her, drenched in his black robes, his arms crossed over his chest. "Why were you talking and aiding another student in my class, when I specifically stated at the beginning of the lesson NOT to do so?" Hermione could tell that this was her chance to explain herself but what would she say, what pathetic excuse would she come up with or would she just tell the truth, as her gut instinct was telling her to do so?

"I was advising to Neville on what he should do for this potion Sir," Hermione said as she looks into her professors obsidian eyes.

Professor Snape did not seem impressed by her answer and sneered back at her "That Miss Granger was not your place to do so. Mr Longbottom should be competent enough after four years in my class to do the potion I have tasked you all with today."

"But Sir that's not fair, I was only assisting him because he would have been too terrified to ask the dungeon bat for help himself." Her voice was rising as her temper began to flare. She had risen from her seat but refused to sit back down when Snape's hands slammed against her table.

"I dare you to call me that again Miss Granger." Snape's voice was nothing but a soft sneer, barely loud enough for anyone but Hermione to hear.

"Dungeon Bat." She spits her eyes are leveled as she stares into Snape's obsidian eyes. There were very few people that Hermione Granger could say that she hated but how she loathed Snape.

"Detention, For both you and Mr. Longbottom. You will be severing detention for me for the rest of the week. Be here at seven o'clock sharp." His eyes dare her to question him again. Hermione allows herself to fall back into her seat, luckily for Neville and Hermione it is Friday and therefore they only have three days of detention. She completes the potion half an hour before the rest of the class, sealing up the sluggish liquid in a thin vial before walking it up to the front of the room and placing it on Snape's desk.

He gives me no notice that he's even aware of her or the potion she created which now sits in the vial rack clearly labeled with her name. She turns away from Snape and makes her way back to her seat. She has nothing else to do but watch Snape from her seat. The way that his raven hair falls around his face, veiling his face from the rest of the world. His hooked nose was quite distinct, the obvious stand out feature when looking at him from far or near. His sourness and snark did not help in any manner and it only lessoned whatever attractiveness that he could muster up. Hermione had heard some of the girls - these girls were of the likes of Lavender Brown and her friends; to be precise - in the Gryffindor girls rooms talking about their fantasies of Snape however she couldn't see what they were talking about. There was nothing attractive about Snape in the slightest, his only redeeming quality was his wit and cleverness. However even that was dimmed in comparison to everything else about him.

The ringing of an unseen bell brings Hermione back to her sense and she collects her already packed satchel before leaving the classroom. Harry and Ron aren't that far behind her and when they catch up Ron claps her on the back, almost making her fall to her knees by the weight of the slap.

"I cannot believe you stood up to Snape like that!" Ron exclaims, his blue eyes sparkling with merriment. Harry is nodding along his brilliant green eyes portraying his excitement at what they had witnessed.

"Well someone had to stand up to him, and the way he was treating Neville was completely unfair." Hermione says, shrugging her shoulders lightly.

"Yea but who knew it would be you Mione! I mean you never talk back to a teacher, let alone get in trouble with one!" Ron says and she just simply smiles and shrug again. Hermione Granger isn't usually the type of girl to get in trouble, what with her being the smartest witch of her age she usually could win the teachers over very easily. However nobody had or ever would be able to manage to charm Snape and it wasn't expected of Hermione to win him over either. Harry and Ron loathed the man as well, the man whom managed to make their lives a living hell every single day. Even during dinner the boys could not get over the injustice of what Snape had done to Hermione. Hermione only nodded her head at some of the things that the boys had to say or injected short comments where necessary, however for the most part Hermione simply tried to induce some of the wonderful food before her. Hermione would hardly eat at the best of times, what with her small stomach and all but now under pressure and stress because of the detention with Snape she couldn't eat a thing. Not a single morsel of the roast beef or baked vegetables, nor of the pumpkin juice or the sweet tarts of desert entered into the girl. Hermione knew it was nearing seven and she departed from the Great Hall, Harry and Ron giving her looks of dismay as she walked away from them.

The trek down to the Potions classroom was quiet and uneventful, though she could hear Peeves terrorizing a couple of first years - by the sounds of it - a couple halls across. Even when she entered into the classroom, there was no-one there. It was quite unnerving really, to be in a dimmed classroom with no-one else present and the shrieking of scared children as the only sound that she could hear. On one of the students desk was a cauldron that was bubbling furiously, some of the froth from the liquid spilling over it's edge. Hermione knew better than to approach potions that had gone bad in the making, but she also knew that Snape would have never left a bubbling cauldron alone. However her curiosity brought her nearer, until she was looking into the bright purple liquid. She could see her own reflection upon the liquid and she finds that she looks completely bedraggled. She is being watched by the man whom obviously created the potion. He was under a notice-me-not charm and he turns to the other man standing beside him.

"Do you truly believe that she can stop him? Is she our only hope? And what of Potter, what will you do when he finds out that you were one to send his best friend twenty years into the past?" Snape's voice was concerned though still filled with the snark that he was renowned for.

Albus' eyes framed by his half moon glasses twinkle at the younger man "Is this concern I sense coming from you Severus?" At this the dark man growls and Albus' simply chuckles "Yes I believe she can stop him and yes she is our only hope. Mr Potter will eventually find out, this I am all too aware of and when he does I will fill him in on the mission that Miss Granger is being sent on."

The two men quiet down and turn back toward the girl, another moment passes and the potion which had begun to boil over explodes and all trace of Miss Hermione Jean Granger is gone, almost as if the girl never existed in the first place. Outside of the castle, the perfectly calm night changes course and the worst storm of the season begins to brew. It's as if the world itself morns the loss of the Greatest Witch of this age.

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So what did you guys think! Good or bad? Please remember to leave a comment/review. It is appreciated!


	2. Chapter 2: Twenty Years Ago Today

Chapter 2 - Twenty Years Ago Today

Hermione looks around her wildly. What on earth had just happened? The cauldron had exploded and yet now there was no mess around her or on the student's desk, the only evidence of the purple potion was what had clung to her school uniform, hair and skin. Unexpectedly she is falling down, her body having been pushed to the ground. Hermione turns herself around in enough time so that she doesn't land face first on the cold stone floor of the dungeon.

"Who are you?" A male voice sneers and when Hermione looks up she sees a young boy with raven black hair that hangs around his face like curtains. The boy's obsidian black eyes burn with a fire that gives her chills. "I asked you a question Gryffindor. You better answer me or you'll be sorry." The boy sneers again. Hermione belatedly realizes that the boy's wand is pointed at her and thus she makes herself cautious with her words.

"My name is Hermione." She says, her eyes watching the boy, who only sneers at the name.

"Let me guess, you were here to spy on me? To get information for Dumbledor? Or were you here to excel yourself at potions by cheating? If it's either then you are without luck. I will not say anything to you or any other Gryffindor that comes after me for Dumbledor. Nor will you ever be able to excel at potions as you are like all the other Gryffindor girls, ditsy, giggling dunderheads that do not have a sickles worth of intelligence or wit." The raven hair boy sneers before walking away from the girl, allowing her to get up from her place on the floor. Hermione fixes up her uniform, brushing off any dirt that could have clung to it as she clears her head, before turning towards the boy who had gone back to his work.

Slamming her hands upon his desk to get his attention back on her, she says "How can you assume that I'm like the others? Just because I have a Gryffindor tie around my neck? You don't even know me!"

"I know that your name is Hermione and that you're a Gryffindor. That is all I need to know about you, as I have no intention to get involved with a Gryffindor." The boy sneers, his obsidian eyes staring into her brown eyes.

"Typical Slytherin," She mutters before walking away from the boy. She barely gets three feet away before the boy grabs her arm and pulls her in close, their bodies pressed tightly together. His wand is underneath her chin forcing her to look up at him. This close she could see all the different types of brown in his eyes which make his eyes look black. Though she is mesmerized by his eyes the sneer on his face showed that he wasn't pleased.

"Say that again witch. I dare you." His words made her even more aware of his wand pressing against her chin, made her even more aware of how close they were, if that were even possible.

Hermione knew that she was getting underneath the boy's skin easily, and so with the wit and clever thinking of a Slytherin she presses her body even closer to his, standing on the tip of her toes she whispers the two words "Typical Slytherin" again in his ear, her lips curling into a smirk. The boy pushes her away with a strength that belies his slim figure. However this time Hermione doesn't fall over and has enough time to wipe out her wand. As she sees the boy is about to throw a jinx at her she throws up a ward she had created herself. The ward was meant to protect her from any charms, hexes or jinxes. The boy's hex bounces off of her ward and slams full force into the wall, leaving an explosion of color behind. Giving the boy a cocky smile and a half-curtsy Hermione quickly rushes out of the room and up the hall. There is a vibe running through her veins, what she had did back there was crazy and so unlike herself but she enjoyed every minute of it. Hermione tears off her Gryffindor tie and stuffs it into her skirt pocket, she was a proud lion but if the boys behavior was any indication to how deeply the house rivalry ran than it was better safe than sorry.

There was only one place for her to go, so that she could truly understand the situation she was in and how to go about it; rather one person she could go to, which of course was Dumbledor. She tried to avoid any other students, it was best to avoid them all as she didn't know what on merlin's name was going on. Hermione could hear a few students coming towards her, by the sounds of it they were most likely a bunch of rowdy boys. A quick notice-me-not charm would hide her from their gazes. Hermione silently casted the charm and continued on her way. It was indeed a bunch of boys that she had heard approaching - four to be exact - one of the boys was short and reminded her of the man-rat - Peter Pettigrew - that she had encountered towards the end of her third year, another was clearly a younger Remus Lupin a dear friend of Harry, the other two boys were both strikingly handsome, the type of boys who knew the effect that they had on girls and would flaunt it. Both of those boys had jet black hair, one's hair was chin length and curled down around his face. His gray eyes were strikingly familiar and with a gasp Hermione realizes that this handsome boy is Sirius Black, Harry's very own Godfather. Her attention then turns to the last boy, who makes Hermione's heart leap with joy as she mistakes him for Harry but as she thinks about it, he couldn't be harry not if the other three boys she truly knew as men were about her age. There was only one other person that the boy could have been.

"James" she breathes the name, the boys attention quickly snaps to where she is standing, which by now is directly next to them. She feels as if for a moment he can actually see her, he stops for a moment reaching out to her, his hand almost brushing the ward itself. The other boys had walked on and realizing that James wasn't with them they turn around.

"Oi Prongs! You alright mate?" Sirius asks, giving his friend a concerned smile. James turns away from Hermione, the enchantment breaking as his gaze goes back to the other three boys. He gives them a cocky grin as he says "Yea I just thought I heard someone say my name."

"Probably just a ghost mate. Or more likely you're hearing things again." Sirius has a similar cocky grin, almost the matching pair of James, on his perfectly shaped lips.

"Shove off Padfoot." James says in reply, giving the other boy a shove. Hermione watches them walk away for a moment, the four boys going back to talk and teasing each other. She knows how much this would have meant to Harry, to see his father in the living flesh. She pushes the thought away for later, after all she was on a mission to get to Dumbledor without being discovered and that had been a very close call. Fortunately she does not run into any other people on her way to his office. However the problem is, that when she reaches the gargoyle she has no idea as to what the password could be. Thus Hermione is standing there rattling off every sugary sweet that she could think of. Finally once having reached the end of the extensive list of wizardry treats she could think of she pauses for a moment, what exactly is the treat that Harry claimed Dumbledor always offered?

"Come on Mione! Think!" She mutters to herself as she urges herself to think of the very sweet that Harry had grown to hate after all of Dumbledor's offers.

"Lemon Drops" Hermione exclaims, shouting out the word as it comes rushing to her head. She watches the gargoyle turn and makes her way up when the hidden stairwell reveals itself to her, celebrating her small victory as she travels up the staircase. The only sounds that Hermione could hear coming from Dumbledor's office was the crackling of a fire and the soft snores of the portraits of old Headmasters. Slowly pushing the door of the office open, she steps into the room. Sitting in the Headmasters chair, his hands folded and his chin resting against it is Headmaster Dumbledor; in all his ancient glory. He is watching her silently through his half-moon glasses, which sit lightly up his nose.

There is a soft, knowing smile. "I felt a disturbance in my castle this evening, something that did not seem to completely fit. At first I thought I was imagining things, but Alas here stands the reason behind all of what. My name is Dumbledor and I am the Headmaster of this school. My I know what your name is Miss…."

"Granger, Hermione Granger, Sir." She supplies knowing that his pause was her cue.

"And what do I have the pleasure of your visit Miss Granger?" Dumbledor asks, smiling as Hermione takes a seat.

"Well Sir I was in the potions classroom, for a detention and there was this potion that had been left unattended in the open. It exploded and now I'm here and I've seen things that I cannot even begin to explain. Sir, may I ask, what exactly is the year?" She says trying to explain what had happened, when she was struggling to understand it herself.

"That is not as peculiar a question as you're making it out to be. When I last checked the year was 1975. The day is July 23rd if you were wondering that as well." Dumbledor's innocent smile belied the importance of the situation.

"I'm afraid Sir that is not as reassuring for me as it must be for you. The potion accident I was involved in, somehow has transported me several years into the past, twenty years to be exact." She replies, dropping her head into her hands. She knew that just being here was changing the time-line and who knew how drastic a change it would be.

"Unfortunately Miss Granger there is not a lot that I can do for you at this moment. I will speak to Potions Master Slughorn tomorrow morning and he will begin to investigate the accident and find a way to send you back to your own time. Until that time I suggest that you make yourself comfortable here at Hogwarts. By your clothing I assume that you are a student here in your own time?" Dumbledor says, watching her closely. She looks up to the Headmaster, raising her head from her hands.

"Yes Sir, I am a fifth year." Hermione replies as she wipes away her tears.

"Good. Now that I know which year I believe it is time to sort you into your house." Dumbledor smiles as he gets up from his seat, making his way towards the old weathered hat sitting on a shelf.

"But Sir I'm already in Gryffindor!" The girl exclaims surprised that she would have to be sorted again. She didn't really enjoy her first experience with the hat and she wasn't looking forward for a second turn.

"That was in your time-line Miss Granger, however you are now in another and thus must be sorted again." Dumbledor says as he motions her to stand up. Hermione slowly walks up to Dumbledor, not fully trusting the hat to sort her into Gryffindor again. Dumbledor sets the top upon her head and it comes to life.

"Ah I seem to have gone through this mind before, similar and yet foreign. How strange. You are already a Gryffindor it seems, yes I can see a lot of red and gold in your memories. However you have the wit and cleverness of a Ravenclaw, the loyalty of a Huffelpuff and the Resourcefulness, Cunning and Determination of a Slytherin. Everyone seems to have something of the four houses in them. But it is always hard to choose where to place them. Well it isn't going to be Huffelpuff and due to your blood status I cannot place you in Slytherin. So it must be…."

"Gryffindor!" The hat shouts and Hermione's fears of being sorted into another house - especially Slytherin - have ceased. Dumbledor takes the hat off of Hermione's head and he can clearly see the relief on her face.

"Well there was nothing to fear now was there Miss Granger?" Dumbledor asks, the sparkle that he is infamous for twinkling within his eyes as he smiles at the relieved girl before him.

"I was afraid that I'd be sorted into Slytherin Sir. I'm a muggleborn, you see and they would have ripped me to pieces." Hermione says turning to her Headmaster.

"I understand your concern with the Slytherin house. The rivalry between Gryffindor and Slytherin go back to the two founders themselves. It still may be wise though not to reveal your blood status to anyone. If anyone questions your heritage say that you are a Half-blood. There will be less trouble with the lie than if you were to tell the truth. I will send an order to Madam Malkins for your uniforms and the head girl will take you to Hogsmead tomorrow to collect your other supplies." Dumbledor says as he waves his wand at the door, it magically opens though Hermione barely pays it attention.

"Other than that I bid you goodnight Miss Granger. I presume you know the location of the Gryffindor tower?" Dumbledor asks.

"Yes Sir, may I know what the password is?" Hermione asks, as she walks to the door.

"It is oddsbodikins. Goodnight, and all the best to you Miss Granger." Dumbledor replies and as soon as Hermione is out the door, it is closed behind her. With nowhere else to go she begins the journey to the Gryffindor Common Room of 1975. She can only hope that not a lot has changed in twenty years from her time. Though with her luck she really has no hope at all.

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A/N: And there is chapter two, out a bit later than I had intended but at least it's here :) I hope you all enjoy it and yes I intend there to be a lot more of the marauders. It only helps build the tension between Hermione and Severus! Please comment and add it to your favourites if you enjoyed it. Or not. It's really up to you!


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